The Juice Manifesto by Andrew Cooper with photos by Al Richardson contains 120 recipes for juices, smoothies, and healthful meals for the whole family. He codes the recipes so you’ll know if it’s family friendly aka. your kids might just like it. 🙂

I really like the new ideas it’s given us! I hadn’t thought to use Hemp Oil before reading this book, or turmeric root not just the ground spice. Plus, lots of other ideas. (Okay, mostly given my husband because he juices for us. Thanks, honey!)

The author, Andrew Cooper, gives lots of information on ingredients and what it’s helpful for. For example, he writes “Spirulina is one of the leading sources of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), which is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory agents in nature.”

And a quick aside on turmeric — always have your kids drink anything with this spice IN THE KITCHEN. Our carpet will never get out the orange stain from a turmeric smoothie spill. Of course, you probably already know this sort of duh revelation of mine. But, just in case you didn’t, you’re welcome.

The main section of the book has recipes for juices, smoothies, shots and tonics, teas and warm drinks, nut milks, breakfast, liquid lunch, on the go, ice cream, cocktails, and wast not want not, which is what to do with the pulp from the juicer.

I really like how the back section organizes the recipes and important foods to eat by these topics: Immunity Boost, Alkalizing, Detoxifying, Digestion, Pre-Workout, Recovery/Post-Workout, Beauty, Weight Loss, Healing, and Stress. I’m all about immunity due to my autoimmune issues but my kids (who have both got over c-diff and h pylori recently) need a lot of digestion support as well. So, we can look up what recipes and ingredients will best support those needs.

Yeah!

The photos in the Juice Manifesto are totally gorgeous. You’ll see below when I share some sample recipes. If you’re not already into juicing and making smoothies, you might be after viewing these enticing pictures.

When you’re ready to get started, if you’re not already a juicer, here’s what we do. . .

We use a Breville juicer which we think is excellent, especially for the price. (We burned out the motor on the last one from a different manufacturer.) Our Breville juicer is speedy and the clean-up isn’t too bad!

For smoothies, we broke down and bought a Vitamix which is AH-MAZING. I thought Amazon had the best prices and we use it multiple time a day so it’s well worth it. (It’s my second favorite kitchen appliance after my Instant Pot!)

Ready for some sample recipes?

Juicer and Smoothie Recipes for the Whole Family

The recipes below are reprinted with permission from Juice Manifesto by Andrew Cooper. Photos below are by Al Richardson.

GREEN ROOTS

This is another perfect introduction to the world of green liquid, as there is a good balance of leafy greens, natural sugars and vitamin C. Carrot in a green juice works well and adds a light, sweet flavor. All my favorite vitamin-packed greens are in this one – providing a huge nutritional punch!

Serves one

a small bunch of parsley

a handful of spinach leaves

1 kale leaf

2 carrots

1 celery stalk

1 apple

1/2 a cucumber

Juice all your ingredients one by one in the order they are listed. Serve chilled.

JUICEMAN TIP: Add a sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper for some heat.

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

This smoothie is a great energy-boosting way to start the day. Organic strawberries are hard to find all year-round, so to enjoy this healthy milkshake any time of the year, keep lots of them in the freezer. Feel free to add a date or two for extra fiber and sweetness. Top with hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and bee pollen.

serves one

1 frozen banana

1/2 an avocado, peeled and pitted

1/2 a lime, peeled

1 1/3 cups almond or other nut milk, or milk of your choice

1 tbsp nut butter

2 handfuls of strawberries (fresh or frozen)

2 dashes of vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients into a blender in the order they are listed. Blitz until smooth. Serve immediately.

JUICEMAN TIPS: This makes a great protein shake by adding 1 tbsp of protein powder of your choice. You can turn this into a chocolate milkshake by replacing the strawberries with 1 tbsp of cacao powder, or a banana milkshake by replacing the strawberries with an extra banana (fresh or frozen).

DIET SMOOTHIE

Not only is this a really tasty smoothie, it’s also great for anyone on a weight-loss program. Foods that are high in fiber or water content, or both, help to create a lasting feeling of fullness, while being very low in calories. This smoothie is also perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.

serves one

3 cups chopped watermelon

1 lemon, peeled

1 tsp raw honey

Put all the ingredients into a blender in the order they are listed. Blitz until smooth. Serve immediately.

JUICEMAN FACT: Watermelon is a great source of lycopene, which is known to help prevent cancer.

One thing to consider about juicing vs. smoothies is fiber. Juicing takes away some of the raw fiber that you get with smoothies. We try to alternate but we also consider the gut — if someone is ultra sensitive to raw vegetables (I couldn’t eat them for several years without serious issues), then juicing is usually okay but making smoothies isn’t.

It’s also good to consider the recipe balance with juice — you can get a serious insulin overload if you juice only sweet things (beets, carrots, apples) because it’s getting absorbed so fast without the fiber. Just watch the balance and how you react.